Across the board, digital ad spend is growing at the cost of other media, one of the exceptions is Beer.

AdViking would suggest that is probably due to the restrictions on what type of ads can run on the big search and display networks and so this means that those in charge of the marketing budgets have too work hard for ROI…which as we know is something that most Marketers like to avoid doing.

Once video and the like grows as part of the digital spend, then we’ll see a natural transition of the budget.

Still, that doesn’t mean a few smart marketers aren’t taking advantage of the new channels open for them. e.g.: Having an European focus means that AdViking missed the whole ‘dude’ Bud Light ( (Light beer isn’t really an option this side of the Atlantic) campaign and only through the glories of YouTube have we been able to catch up:

On second thought, as the future is niche and vertical, then there’s a big gap open to consolidate the alcohol spending into one new network, giving the opportunities for Publishers like BeerViking to have a more natural advertising to user fit.

Post-Script: And then AdViking comes across the news that Carling has the #1 free game application for iPhone with their iPint game. My apologies to Nic Young, director of marketing communications at Carling and their partners at Beattie McGuinness Bungay and Illusion Labs for the comment about Marketers not wanting to work for ROI…seems that some of them do.

AdViking notes that Google has just backed down on it’s full ‘Trademark Protection’ policy in the UK. It had previously allowed brand owners to block anyone advertising on their keywords or using their brand names in their adverts. Google claims that because this change of policy only affects keywords and not advert copy, it will stop passing off… but that depends on how clever the ad copy is!

The reality of the situation is that Google are opening the marketplace back up on these terms and, lets face it, once the competition starts up, then the brand owners are only one position of many.

However, AdViking believes that the takeup of such trademark protection was snowballing as increasing brand owners were taking advantage of it. Reports in the news that AdWords revenues were stalling was affecting share price and, hey, who are Google not to listen to their poor, starved, shareholders?

We also welcome the opening up because Trademark Protection policy was actually being used for price fixing… or at least attempts at price fixing. A few months ago you’d have loads of adverts on ‘cheap peugeot’ on Google UK, now there is only one.

So, bring on May 5th, when the market hots up again! Should be interesting…